permaculture

[Mark Ludwig <mpludwig@facstaff.wisc.edu>]

At 07:26 AM 11/18/02 -0500, you wrote:
> Can a mold board plow be used to create drainage ditches on either side of a
> farm dirt road? How much HP would your tractor need? How deep could you cut?
> And how wide a ditch could it cut, and would that ditch be wide enough?

A single moldboard plow will throw a 4-8 inch/ 12-24 cm deep trench with a 
similarly sized slice of earth adjacent to it.  This could be a little more 
or less depending on design.   I don't really see it being all that great 
for road ditches, but OK for small swales or catchments.  Plows throw in 
one direction, so just turn around and drive the other way to throw the sod 
different directions.  Fancy "roll over" plow systems have two gangs of 
plows that are able to flip over mechanically to throw their furrow either 
direction.

> I thought those hiller type discs cut fairly narrow slits? Thanks. Frank

Hillers are concave disks more for throwing loosened soil, they are set to 
scoop and toss soil rather than penetrate sod.  A straight disk made to cut 
sod would be called a colter, sometimes run in angled pairs in disks as a 
"double disk opener"  Your old field cultivator would usually be used in a 
plowed field to help break up clods, though you might be able to mess 
around with the shanks for whatever you have in mind.  Did you buy a welder 
yet?  (don't make me come down there.... :<0 )
M